MORE VITALITY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 50, 1 March 1922, Page 4

MORE VITALITY.

The plea made at the anniail meeting of the Chamber of Commerce for more vitality in the institution seems to us justified. The chamber does useful work, ibut we do not think any of its members would contend that it fills anything like the place in the city that it might. It has got into a groove, and it must be shaken out of that groove if it is to strengthen its position. Improvement is at 'bottom a matter of three things, which are closely connected —a larger membership, more interest 'by members in the work of the chamber, and a larger income. The total of subscriptions raised (£750) towards the cost of what should be the mouthpiece of the commercial world of the largest city in New Zealand, is paltry. A finance of several times that amount should be assured. Interesting proposals for improvement were made <by the retiring and the new president, and we hope these will ibe seriously considered. Broadly speaking, the influence of the chamber has 'been passive rather than active, and future developments should be in the direction of making the institution more energetic and militant, and giving it a wider field of work. The chamJber should be a centre of all kinds of commercial interest and activity; there are innumerable matters relating to business, trade, civic and national affairs on which it should Ibe able to speak with authority and weight:' We do not suggest the cultivation of a spirit of hard and proud 'boastfulness or of parochialism, •but the organisation of a medium 'by which all subjects relating to business and the advancement of the city will 'be fu!ly considered and, if necessary, action taken in such a way that it will make an impression. It seems to us that in these respects Auckland is less well provided than one or two of the Southern cities.